Out at the Woodpile
by andreamama
Summary: A spin off from "Well Deserved Pranks" by Countrylover99. After the kidnapping, how will Frank and Sarah reconcile?
1. Dirty Laundry

**This is my first ever Fanfic, highly inspired by the wonderful Seven Brides for Seven Brothers fandom here.**

 **HUGE thanks to Countrylover99 for her boundless support and inspiration. She works so hard at broadening the fandom. If yoyu have read her stories, please read them now, especially _Well Deserved Pranks_ , as this story is a spin off from her one-shot chapter between Sarah and Frank.**

 **Please rate and review, a new chapter will be up soon!**

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Sarah Kine stormed straight out of that barn with her head held high.

At last, Frank Pontipee would feel the same humiliation and helplessness she felt that awful night he carried her off to the mountains. She had in her hands a rumpled bundle of his clothes which she had snatched while he was in the bath. Still in a fume, she flung them into a muddy puddle a few feet away from the porch of the house. Serves him right!

Smiling proudly she was reached the front door of the cabin. She was so excited to share her vengeful prank with the girls inside when she heard the bellowing laughter of the boys back in the barn. She could tell they were all making fun of Frank and that he was not enjoying it one bit. She imagined his face – it would be as red as cherries, the rage slowly building up and up. She had seen that furious face of his before at the barn raising and was absolutely terrified. She thought back to that day in August and remembered what bright and playful eyes he also had and how she felt when he smiled at her. She remembered the disappointment that fell across his face when Carl, her suitor back home, and the town boys wrenched the girls from the company of the Pontipee brothers to dance. She had wanted to dance with Frank, even though she had hardly known him for an hour. She thought he was the most interesting person she had ever met, and so different from Carl.

Her heart sank at the thought of him being mad at her for pulling that stunt. He would also be chilly with nothing to wear, wouldn't he? The December snow had been falling heavier and each day was getting colder and colder. It would be awful if he got sick and it would be all her fault. That little voice in her head told her she _had_ to do the right thing, no matter what. This was always characteristic to Sarah's nature; consistently bound to her tender conscious.

She quickly spun around, jumped down off the porch and gathered up the clothes from the puddle before the boys came looking for them. She bundled them up in the skirt of her maroon dress to hide them. She knew she would need to wash them before returning them but she did not want the other girls to know about it.

For the past two months she had sided with Martha (as she usually did) and wanted nothing to do with those Pontipee boys, regardless of how sorry they all claimed to be. She had noticed the girls one by one start softening towards them; trying to catch glimpse of them working outside or even share a few quick words. But honestly, Sarah was still a little scared of Frank. She would not even let herself consider what she was afraid of. But, oh, was that Frankincense Pontipee getting under her skin! Day by day, she could feel such tension inside her and she had no idea what to think or do. With all the time they spent cooped up in that cabin her mind often wandered back to that surprise kiss with him on her front porch. She had tried to catch a glimpse of him out at the woodpile one evening a couple of weeks ago, just so she could try and help herself understand why she was feeling so frustrated about him. Dorcas had called her out on that which catapulted them both into an awful brawl. Dorcas was the last person Sarah wanted to know about her escapade this afternoon. She could only imagine the teasing and innuendo that would fall out of that tall, coquette-of-a-girl's mouth! No, Frank's bath and laundry needed to remain a secret.

Sarah opened the door to the cabin to see the girls busying themselves with their evening chores. Milly, refreshed from a nap, was in the kitchen with Dorcas preparing dinner. Liza and Alice were washing the windows while Ruth was dusting .Sarah quickly walked past them towards the kitchen and kept her eyes down, avoiding and contact with theirs. She was relieved to see Martha wasn't downstairs. Martha was very good at spotting mischief and secrets, even though Sarah was very good at hiding her feelings the majority of the time.

She arrived at the washroom, which was adjacent to the kitchen, and started to unbundle Frank's clothes from her skirts. The muddy puddle had hardly stained them, but they were still in need of a good wash. His moleskin pants had a few grubby patches and his underclothes...disgusting! How did Milly cope with SEVEN of these ruffians? Were all of them this dirty? She wrinkled her nose at the thought of doing their laundry each day. She took a good look at Frank's maroon flannel shirt and noticed a few buttons needed replacing and there was a large rip over the left front panel. She could easily fix that for him, it would be a shame for him to carry on wearing a ripped shirt all winter long, and she so loved sewing... Her thoughts returned to that mischievous grin of his again and she couldn't help smiling. She lazily traced the collar of the shirt with her finger and thought again of those shoulders poking out of the bath tub earlier...  
"Sarah, what are you doing in here? Would you like to help with dinner at all?"  
It was Milly. Sarah quickly hugged the shirt into her chest and folded her arms to hide it.  
"Nothing! Just, um, checking on something."  
Milly raised an eyebrow, smiled and looked at the pants and long johns on the bench she forgot to hide.  
"I'm not even going to ask." Milly quietly said. "But goodness, you're in for a bit of scrubbing this afternoon." She smiled again and pulled out a cake of soap from a drawer and placed it on top of the long johns.  
"Good luck!" she chuckled, "Dorcas can help me with the dinner."  
Relieved, Sarah grinned and blushed. She found a bucket with clean water and got started.


	2. Make Do & Mend

It took Sarah a few nights to get Frank's clothes completely ready for return. She had to sneak downstairs after all the girls went to sleep to dry them in front of the fire and repair the tear in the shirt. She lit a lamp and made herself comfortable in Millie's rocking chair, moving slowly and quietly so that no one could hear her at work. She still did not want the girls to find out about her escapade the other night or the fact that she was almost happy to be mending Frank's shirt. She could imagine the teasing from Dorcas and the scolding from Martha if they knew. However, Sarah was relieved to have something to put her hands to apart from cooking and cleaning. The household tasks were all necessary, especially with more people to look after at the farm and with Millie growing rounder with child. Sarah was always ready to help around the home, no matter whose home it was, but nothing made her heart happier than being creative with needle and thread.

Sarah was quite the seamstress. Growing up in the newly settled Oregon territory, she had learned how make do and mend. She became a talented knitter and a gifted dressmaker, learning skills from her grandmother and mother. Her friends in town deemed her most fashionable and often asked Sarah for her tips and opinions when making new dresses for themselves or when they were putting together scraps for quilting bees. While her family was wealthy (her father was in finance) they had fewer resources out West. Mr. & Mrs. Bixby's store and the one ladies dress shop in town were the only place the girls could purchase fabric, notions and accessories, so they all had to get creative. From time to time, Sarah's father, Mr. Kine, would travel back East on business and he would always try to bring back something for her to complete outfit. If she was particularly lucky, he might have even purchased a ladies magazine, brimming with beautiful fashion plates. Sarah would pour over copies of the Godey's Lady Book and plot out her next design. In fact, she had been doing so the night Frank had whisked her away.

She was only able to swipe a spool of white thread undetected, so she decided to turn the repair into an embroidered feature. She gave the end of the thread a quick lick with her pink tongue and expertly slid the thread through the eye of a needle. She pierced the sharp point of the needle through the wine coloured flannel and lightly pulled the cotton through.

An hour and a half passed and the thread had not only secured the frayed rip but had formed into a white cursive "F". She clipped off the loose thread at the curled tail of the embroidered monogram then held up the shirt to admire her work. She frowned when she realised the "F" had repaired a tear on the left side of the shirt panel, right where Frank's heart would be.


	3. Quilts & Calico

The next morning, Sarah yawned unashamedly at the table while the girls ate their breakfast and prepared for the day.  
"Sarah, honey? Are you alright?" asked Ruth as she poured Sarah a second cup of coffee.  
"I'm fine," she mumbled as she rubbed her eyes. "I just haven't been sleeping very well."  
"No sweet dreams of Frank then, I suppose?" said Dorcas with half a smile as she sipped her coffee cup and leant forward onto her elbows. Ruth giggled, Liza rolled her eyes and Martha turned her head to scold her so quickly her light brown ponytail flicked the face of Alice sitting next to her. "Dorcas! Can you last one minute without saying something inappropriate?" exclaimed Martha.  
"Now, now, girls. Let's start the day off happy." chimed in Milly who was awkwardly navigating sitting down with her growing belly. She could feel the tension rising amongst the girls again, she needed to distract them. "How 'bout we work a bit more on getting our spring dresses started today? We'll get the cookin' done for the day and it will be somethin' nice to put our minds to, apart from cleanin' and snow."  
Sarah instantly brightened. "That sounds just lovely Milly!" the prospect of sewing for a whole afternoon seemed heavenly!  
"Glad to hear it, Sarah." smiled Milly. "We could sure use your talent now. I've found a few things we can use in Adam's mother's trunk but we'll have to get a bit creative."  
Sarah smiled wide, she couldn't wait to hunt through Milly's trunk and design a few things.

After preparing food for everyone's lunch and supper, the seven girls flew up the stairs to the bedroom. Together they hauled Ma Pontipee's trunk into the room and opened it wide. Sarah felt like Aladdin, as if a magical cave of treasure had been revealed.  
Milly smiled as she pulled out the pink dress with patchwork skirt she had promised to Liza earlier in the month, hoping to boost her spirits. Liza must have been about the same size as Ma Pontipee, but there were a few alterations to be made at the waist and the hem would need to be brought up. "Its prettier than I imagined!" Liza said with bright eyes.  
"Just imagine what Ephraim will say when he sees how lovely you'll be in this!" teased Dorcas. Liza didn't even care, she was just happy to have a distraction. "As long as I can dance in it, I don't care what he thinks."  
Sarah kept her chuckle to herself, she knew deep down, Liza did care a great deal what Ephraim thought. She carefully dug further and found a light jacket of pink brocade with a pleated ruffle at the waist. "Oh, how darling!" exclaimed Dorcas as she held it up to her body. "If only this could be turned into a dress!"  
"We have a few bed sheets and some calico that we can use to make skirts, girls," explained Milly. "We just need to be frugal with anything else we find. With the pass blocked, there's not a lot great deal to go 'round and we still need to make a few things for the baby."  
Sarah dove into the trunk again to find a night shirt of blue and white ticking that must have once belonged to Pa Pontipee. "Ruth, you look so pretty in blue, you ought to have this. We can fit it to you nicely, keep the buttons and have some scraps left for patches and for the baby's wardrobe."  
"That sounds lovely! Thank you, Sarah Maybe we can add some pockets? Would be awful useful to have some pockets!" Ruth folded the shirt and hugged it close to her chest, imagining what Caleb may say to her when he catches a glimpse of her in her spring finery.  
Sarah hit the bottom of the trunk. "That seems to be all that's here. We still have a little bit of red gingham left over from the curtains and new pillowcases we made," she remembered.  
"I'd be happy to have that," smiled Martha. "It does sound like a practical use of what's left."  
"Sarah, what would we do without you?" asked Milly cheerfully. "Now, I have a few blankets we can also use. "Alice would you be a dear and bring them in from my bedroom? I'm going to go and hunt for some eggs in the barn while you girls get to work."  
"I wish you wouldnt', Milly. You oughta be restin'."  
"Well, the chickens don't let up so neither can I!" she laughed. "I'll call you all down later. Enjoy, dears!"  
Alice soon returned with two patchwork quilts, one white with decorative star point design and the other with squares in medium shades of blue, red and brown. "What do you suppose we can do with these?" the pretty blonde asked Sarah.  
Sarah's eyes widened as she saw the potential in each quilted block and each piece of clothing. Looking through the trunk she felt invigorated and excited to create something special for her dear friends. She raced to find a pencil and scrap of paper and started drawing out each design, usually a feature bodice with a calico skirt and a trim of some sort. She decided on something special for Milly, using the white based quilt. The girls gushed over the designs and praised Sarah for her creativity, each so excited for the promise of something new to wear and the promise of spring.

The afternoon was spent laughing and singing as they unpicked threads, fixed buttons, flipped front pieces to back pieces, pinned and unpinned pins and cut out panels while Sarah moulded the pieces of fabric to their bodies over the top of their corsets and chemises. It was only when Alice was done with fitting some puffed white sleeves that she noticed that Sarah had designed nothing for herself. "Sarah, dear! We don't have anything left for you!"  
Sarah let out a sad little sigh when she realised she had gotten so excited about making her friends dresses she had forgotten herself. There was truly nothing left except a few metres of boring, dull white calico; just enough for a short sleeved dress.  
"Maybe could your alter your winter dress?" suggested Liza.  
"It's made of wool; it wouldn't be comfortable for spring." Sarah said quietly.  
"Looks like it will just have to be the calico, then." said Martha, genuinely disappointed for her friend.  
"Chin up, honey!" encouraged Ruth as she patted her friend on the shoulder. "I'm sure we can find something!"

Milly called out to them from downstairs to come down and help prepare for the evening meal. Sensing her sadness, Martha suggested Sarah come down when she was ready. Once the five girls were gone, Sarah took a deep breath. She felt the pull in her chest and in her throat, her lips quivered and she let out a giant sob. She had tried to be strong for weeks and not to show her frustration and sadness at her situation – kidnapped by a man she thought was wonderful, stuck in a cabin all winter, no hope of seeing her family for some time and now the one thing she was excited for had been made void. It was such a small thing, but it just tipped the scale on all the sadness she had been carrying around for the last few months.  
She fell down onto a cot and just cried and cried. 


	4. A State of Undress

**Thank you everyone for your kind reviews! It has been very encouraging to know that you have been liking this story so far. Thank you also for your patience while I get these chapters uploaded, I don't get to spend a lot of time on writing so chapters are quite short and infrequent.**

 **I have been dreaming of lovely SB4SB snow while we're sweating away down under, hope my Sourthern Hemisphere readers can get a bit of relief soon! Hope you enjoy this next installment, please let me know what you think!**

Frank had been wearing been wearing Dan's summer underwear for four whole days now.  
Four long days of thin underwear along with Gideon's old shirt and pants. Truth be told, Frank was sick of it. They stunk to high heaven and rid up in all the wrong places. Heck, they weren't worth the brawl they had after he had demanded a spare set from his brothers. At least he still had his warm jacket and boots, Sarah had the good sense to leave those behind when she pulled her trick on him in the bath. Standing away from the barn, he pulled the fleecy collar up to shield his neck from the sharp cold wind. He scowled, he let out a grunt. How much longer was he going to put up with this? He was near frozen each day and took him hours to finish his chores about the farm, he was so cold. Enough was enough – he needed his things back. The boys had said Sarah had thrown his clothes in the mud outside the cabin but as soon as he was able to go and look for them, they had disappeared. He searched the whole farm and couldn't find them hidden anywhere. They had to be inside the house. I reckon someone's hiding them on me, he thought; I reckon it's that Martha. Martha, Dan's girl, had been the queen troublemaker since the day they brought them to the farm. She made their lives, and especially Daniel's life, absolute hell. The reason he had to have a bath that day was because Martha had balanced a bucket of dirty dishwater at the top of the outhouse door as a trick, hoping it would fall on Dan next time he came by. Unfortunately, Frank had beat Daniel to it that afternoon.

How was he gonna get to the girl's room to search for his things? Milly made dang sure the boys couldn't set foot in the house without a good reason, and he was all outta ideas. He looked up to the snow covered roof of the house and wondered if he could get in one of the upstairs windows while nobody was watching. He saw the warm glow coming from the kitchen window, and smelled the scent of tonight's supper wafting from the chimney. He guessed the girls had to be in there now, no one would suspect a thing. He could simply climb up the tree at the side of the house, walk across the awning and slide in through his old bedroom window. He used to do that all the time as a kid, it was especially handy if you were trying to pull a trick on Ma or escape a hiding from Adam. He looked around to check if the coast was clear. No one was back yet from doing their chores; some of the boys had gone ice fishing while the others cut wood out near the forest. Frank quickly ran over to the tree and hoisted himself up to the branches. He quickly leapt onto the awning and quietly crept over to the other side of the house. With his left hand holding the peak of the roof, one foot steadying him on the awning and the other stretched out to the window ledge, he reached over to slide open slide open the window. He stopped. He saw Sarah through an open fold of the gingham curtains, alone in the room.

Frank blushed hard; his cheeks turned the same colour of his hair. He saw his girl in nothing but her petticoats and under things. He gulped as he saw her hold up pieces of plain cream fabric up to her chest. He admired her neck as she swept her long dark hair away to her other shoulder. His mind raced with very un-gentlemanly thoughts as he watched her move around and play with the fabric; she was obviously trying to make something to wear. He watched her face; her expression became darker and somehow frustrated. A great sadness fell over her it seemed. He saw her throat tense. She suddenly stopped and hung her head, her shoulders heaved up and down with sobbing. Frank wanted to shatter the glass of the window and throw his arms around her to give her comfort. Why was she crying? He had seen her cry that night of the kidnapping, but this was different. What should he do? The poor sweet thing shouldn't be alone in this state. Dang it all, he thought. So what if I get caught? I need to see if she's alright. He tapped on the window.  
Sarah heard the tap and jolted around to see Frank through the window. Frank laughed as her mouth formed a perfect "O" in shock. She grabbed a blanket and wrapped it around her bare shoulders. How positively indecent! She thought. Her flushed, tear stained face grew angry as she marched over to the window. She threw open the glass and pushed that boy off the ledge and into the snow covered ground.  
"Frankincense Pontipee, how dare you!" she shouted at him as Frank pulled himself out of the snow. He was laughing, he wasn't hurt at all - the snow broke his fall. He didn't pay it no mind, he absolutely delighted in this girl's spirit. He did not expect that from her at all, and gosh almighty, he loved it when she called him by his full name!  
"Now we're even!" he grinned back up at her. "Are you alright? Why are you crying?"  
"That's none of your business!" Sarah barked.  
Frank decided it would be safer not to push her, maybe he would try to make her laugh instead. "Well, alright! But I'm thinking you have something that belongs to me, hmm?"  
"And what would that be?"  
"My heart, for one thing!" he chuckled. She folded her arms and huffed. Frank decided that she did not find that amusing.  
"Go back to the barn with the rest of the animals!" she spat at him.  
"Well, now, I'm not going anywhere until I get my clothes back. I can wait here all night!"  
Sarah scowled, she knew he would stay out there all night. The only way to get rid of him would be to do as he asked. The clothes were ready for him, but this is not the way she imagined giving them back to him at all. He had ruined any chance of a civil exchange, and that made her even more upset than she already was. Sarah turned away from the window and reappeared a few moments later. She had in her hands Frank's belongings.  
"Here! Here's your things, you, you... _oaf!_ " She flung the long johns, shirt and pants at him in different directions. He scrambled to pick them up quickly so they didn't get damp from the snow.  
"Now get out of here! I never EVER want to see you again, Frankincense Pontipee! NEVER!" she screamed. Frank looked up at her, she was furious. He realised that this was no longer a joke, he could see the hurt and anger in her eyes.  
"Sarah, I-I," he stammered.  
"GO!" she interrupted. And with that, she slammed the window shut.

Franks' heart sank. He could tell she really meant it; she did not want to see him again. He had done her wrong, he knew that. He glowered at the thought of never seeing Sarah again; it was almost too much to bear. He didn't know what to do with himself. Too many times he had crossed the line. He felt his fists clench around the bundle of clothes and he looked down at them, suddenly noticing how clean they looked. Did the girls wash them? They smelled fresher, no smoke or barn smells and not a speck of mud. He unbundled them and studied them closely – somebody had washed these! He unfolded his flannel shirt and held it out in front of himself. That rip on the front was mended and in its place was a mighty fine embroidered "F", for Frank. He smoothed his pointer finger over the threads and sighed – Sarah had done this. He knew it. She had cleaned and fixed his clothes, even after everything that had happened. How could he have been so darn foolish? He cursed himself, fret and self loathing rushed through his body as he trudged back to the barn through the snow.


	5. Hanging by a Thread

**I have been lucky enough to get another chapter done! A little something for my Ephraim/Liza fans - Julie, CaramelloBear and of course Countrylover99!**

Frank trudged back to the barn, his frustration rising. He kicked an old bucket out of his way at the door which flew directly at an unsuspecting chicken that was minding it own business in the hay. He found a sack of grain in the corner and plonked himself down on it. He was oblivious to the fact that his brothers had returned from their work around the farm and were sitting around the fire place warming their bodies, anticipating a much deserved hot meal. Ben was the first to notice Frank's foul mood, and in true older brother style decided to razz him.  
"Well, now Frank! What's eating you? You look madder than a March hare." He laughed, "And uglier, too." No one expected Frank to remain in his seat, sulking. Not one hackle was raised, and it surprised those Pontipee boys, who were always ready to expect a fight from Frank.  
"Go hang yourself, Ben." Frank said without a glance.

Ben just laughed and returned to warming his frost bitten hands. The barn door creaked open and the boys looked up, half expecting Milly and Dorcas to be there with the supper trays. There was Dorcas, as usual, but tonight she was accompanied by Ruth and Liza. Each of them cheery, cheeks flushed from the walk in the snow, looking as if they were holding back giggles. Ben, Caleb and Ephraim rose up in a flash. Ben grinned away at his girl, as he did usually each evening. The girls visiting the barn was a very rare occasion. It hadn't been long since Ruth and Liza had forgiven their captors and were keen to be friendly, so naturally Caleb and Ephraim were delighted to see them.  
"Supper is ready, boys." smiled Dorcas as she passed out trays of roasted sweet potato and beans to Ben and the brothers, Dan and Gideon both eager to get food into their bellies. Ephraim approached Liza, looked down at her and grinned as she passed him two loaves of bread. "Looks mighty fine," his gaze didn't shift from her, and she noticed a lock of his auburn hair fall across his forehead. She blushed and beamed right back up at him, "I do hope you like it!"  
Ruth passed a venison pie to Caleb and giggled sweetly. "This one's a good one. No tricks, just venison this time. Promise!"  
"Thank you, Ruth. That's awful sweet of you. I bet it's delicious, looks fit for a king."  
Frank sneered and rolled his eyes at this sickening display. What a bunch of hooey! His brothers were just so stinking happy and he couldn't stand it, especially after his run in with Sarah today. It was enough to make a fella loose their appetite.  
"Not hungry, Frank?" sung out Dorcas.  
Frank just gestured for her to leave him be and went back to staring at his feet. Dorcas kept on, in a Dorcas-like manner.  
"Surely you're starving' after climbing the roof this afternoon?" she said with a mischievous smile. The boys turned to face the second youngest brother. Both Liza and Ruth chortled. His hackles were up again, he jolted upright. "How-how did you know about that?"  
"We saw everything from the kitchen window!" laughed Ruth, "I have never heard such brawling from Sarah!"  
"What? What happened?" asked Gideon, mouth half full of beans. All the boys surrounded their second youngest brother, quite eager to hear what mischief he had been up to and rag him on it.  
"All we saw was Frank falling from up on high into the snow!" exclaimed Liza. "Then getting something thrown at him." She turned to the perpetrator. "Frank, you know you must have done something awful bad to make her yell like a banshee. Sarah does not let her temper go like that. Not ever."  
"Well, _sometimes_." smirked Dorcas.  
"Now, come on! I was just trying to get my things back and you know I can't come in the house. What else am I 'sposed to do? Then I saw her frettin'...Thought she may need some help or she mighta been sick or somethin'. But she pushed me outta the window!" The crowd in the barn burst into laughter at the thought of it – sweet Sarah Kine pushing that hot headed Frank out of an upstairs window! Frank cut through the jeering. "Enough now! I'll tan the whole lot of ya! Come on, now. Any idea why she was so sad?"

The girls regained their composure and looked at one another, as if wondering whether to give Sarah away or not.  
"Well, if you must know, _Frankincense_ ," teased Dorcas with her hands on her hips, "Sarah is upset 'cos she has nothing to make a new spring dress out of." The boys raised their eye brows at each other. Were all women this silly?  
"Is that all?" Frank was in disbelief.  
" _Is that all?"_ mimicked Dorcas. "Well, I'll tell you one thing Frank Pontipee. It _is_ a big thing to a girl, especially Sarah. And if you knew anything about her you'd know she loves making dresses more than anything. And if you'd care to think about us gals having to make do without our own clothes and things all the way up here, trapped by the snow for goodness knows how long, then you'd know it's something to get undone about."  
"That's right!" nodded Benjamin, under her spell.  
Frank's expression grew dark. He knew Dorcas was right, he hadn't even thought about her needs or nothin' when he carried her off that night. His shoulders sank, he was defeated. He returned to his sack-seat.  
"Well, we better go now." said Ruth, "Milly asked us not to stay out too late."  
"Good night, everyone." smiled Liza, only looking at Ephraim who smiled right back.  
Ben, Caleb and Ephraim followed the ladies to the door and stared out longingly after them. Ben leant lazily against frame of the door. "Ain't she somethin'?"  
Caleb looked dreamily towards the blonde slender figure climbing the stairs to the house. "I love...pie."  
"Do ya think they need any more firewood?" asked Ephraim to no one in particular, eyes fixed on his tiny brunette.  
"I already checked." said Dan and Gideon in unison, not looking up from their plates.

The longer these girls were up on the mountain, the harder the boys were falling for them. Yes, sir! While his brothers were acting like "love sick bull calves", Frank was back in reality. He suddenly realized he hardly knew Sarah at all and it stung him hard. She was a kind and sweet girl, gentle but spirited which he adored. He had spent so much of the barn raising just trying to impress her, he hadn't really taken the time to find out much about her. What did she like? What didn't she like? What was her favourite food? What made her fix his shirt, when she should've boxed his ears and let him freeze to death? And how in the heck was he going to make it up to her?  
Then it hit him.  
"I know where there's some fabric."


	6. Boxes, Bears and Blankets

*EDITED*  
Thanks for your patience while I get another chapter completed. In all honestly, this chapter was rushed and did not go in the direction I had originally intended but I'm glad it happened. I have tweaked this since the original published chapter so it is more believable. A few ideas that popped up in this chapter have been inspired by the other wonderful stories in this fandom, _Mountain Outta Molehills_ by jenniib and _Brothers_ by A Random Introvert. Give them a read!  
Thanks again for reading! A special thanks to Countrylover99 for her tremendous help.  
_

Frank sprang to his feet and bounded over to the ladder that lead up to the hayloft. In the far east corner of the Pontipee's barn lay a secret, hidden under the golden straw. This secret was a small wooden box made by Frank when he was a youngen' and its contents were more precious than gold – a dark blue cotton cradle blanket, decorated with a white paisley print and a carved wooden toy in the shape of a bear. Frank was presented with the blanket when he was born and never seen without it until Gid came along. It was his comfort and plaything. Unknowingly, one of the midwives from town slipped it right out of Frank's pudgy, three year old fingers and wrapped it right around Gideon after he entered the world. Caleb claimed to remember the riotous tantrum that quickly followed, the thrashing and the squawking that were silenced by a few firm swats to Frank's backside from Pa.

From that day forward, Frank was known as the brother with a short temper. The tantrums continued daily as Ma Pontipee's attentions were turned to the new nipper, she was almost at her wits end. Pots and pans were turned over in the kitchen, clean laundry thrown into the pigsty. Frank ran amok at every opportunity and would do anything to get his Ma to fix on him instead of the baby. Close to crazy, she asked her oldest son to help her. She pulled Adam, then sixteen years old, aside after breakfast one morning and placed an extra muffin in this hand.  
"Adam, I know you've got plenty on around the place but I need you to do something for our Frankincense. I just can't stand the fuss no more. Can you take him with you today out to field and let him help you with the plough?"  
"Aw, mama! I ain't no nanny! Besides, what if he runs off?"  
"Adam, you're the eldest and I need your help now. I know you won't let him run off, and you can spank him if he does. Take Ben with you, if you must."  
"But Ben's helpin' Pa this mornin' with the clearin', "  
"Well, you'll just have to make do. 'Cos I have plenty to do 'round here, including making your supper. I am too tired to argue and your father has a lot of work to do clearing those trees. Now scoop up that boy and get! I don't want to see either of you til that dinner bell rings, you hear?"

Ma Pontipee was not a woman to argue with, Adam groaned and did as he was told. He scooped up his brother who was hiding under the table, growling like a wild animal. He tossed Frank over his shoulder and began striding off to the barn to fetch the ploughing gear. Lord knows it was going to be a slow day tending to a brat like Frank and getting any work done on the field.  
"No! Wanna stay with Ma! Ma!" Frank kicked and squirmed in Adam's grip.  
"Mama ain't got no more strength to deal with you, kid. You're gonna be my helper today. A right proper farmer."  
"No, I ain't! I'm a bear!"  
"Lands, you can be a bear _and_ a farmer today, Frank."Adam said playfully."And you're gonna ride with me to the field on old Hercules and help plough. Ain't that exciting?"  
Frank stopped his fussing, wiggled and slid down Adam's chest and looked him straight in the eye expectantly. "I'm gonna help?"  
"Yes, sir." Adam smiled.  
"Herc, too?" he asked.  
"That's right." Frank's little face lit up and he grinned from ear to ear at the thought of helping his big brother and getting to ride the old Clydesdale, Hercules.  
"Let's go! Get Herc and go!"  
Adam laughed at the change in attitude and got everything organised.

Adam spent the day ploughing as best he could with a toddler in tow. Mostly, Frank took turns sitting up on Adam's shoulders while they drove the plough, running about pretending to be a scary bear or gently tapping grey dappled Hercules with a stick as he walked beside him. They stopped for a break when the sun was high and Adam set Frank up on a tuft of grass to nap. Ben closed his eyes for a spell and Adam leaned back on a tree and started carving away at a piece of wood with his pocket knife. The wood quickly transformed into a small bear which he presented to Frank when he woke. Delighted with his gift, Frank tried his best to do as he was told by his older brother for the rest of the afternoon. The plough continued up and down slowly over the west field when they heard three shots fired in the distance.  
"What on Earth?" bellowed Adam, his voice mighty for one his age.  
Three gun shots was the signal the family used if there was any trouble on the property and that they ought to drop what they were doing and head over to the house as quickly as possible. Adam jumped off the plow and unhitched Hercules, then scooped up Frank with his wooden bear. With no time to rig up the saddle, Adam placed Frank on Hercules' back and hopped up behind, tucking little Frank in so he wouldn't fall. They proceeded to the house quickly and saw Dan and Ephraim bounding towards the house, both six and seven at the time. A rifle was in Eph's hand, he was responsible for the shots. Ma quickly came out the door cradling Baby Gid.  
"What's the trouble?" called out Adam. He leapt off the horse and then set Frank down the ground.  
"Ben told me to fire the shots and run down as quick as we could!" exclaimed Ephraim.  
"You did the right thing," Adam stated."What happened?"  
"I dunno!" shrugged Dan, "We was helpin' move the timber and branches onto the cart for firewood. Ben and Caleb were with Pa further down the glen doing the clearin'. We heard a tree fall then that's when they called out that Pa's in trouble, fire the emergency signal and to go as quick as we could to the house."  
"They said to send you up and hurry!"added Ephraim, almost breathless.

Ma Pontipee covered up her gasp with her free work-worn hand. She winced and held back a small cry, as if she already knew what had happened.  
Adam knew now was the time to lead his family. "Ma, go upstairs with little ones. Boys, fetch Ma the brandy bottle that's in the medicine chest. Then I want you to stay out here on the porch till we get back, you hear? Don't you fret now."  
Dan and Eph nodded, they knew they had to do as they were told, especially when Adam had that look on his face. Adam tacked up one of the fast ponies that was tied up near the barn then raced off to the north field.

Ma and little Frank went inside and up the stairs to the main bedroom. She placed sleeping Gideon into his cradle and set herself down onto bed, her body already numb with shock. Frank jumped in with her and snuggled up along side her, happy to be near her again. He started to chatter about his day being a helpful farmer, being a scary bear and his wonderful gift from his biggest brother. He was interrupted by Dan and Ephraim gingerly knocking at the door. They entered and delivered the brandy and a small glass, still unsure of exactly what grownups needed it for. They went straight back down to the porch to wait for their older brothers.

Frank stopped his stories looked at his mother. He knew something was wrong, but he wasn't quite sure what it was. He reached up to his mama's face and wiped away her tears. "Its ok, Ma."  
Surprised at this display of kindness from her little boy, she kissed his red curls and reached to the end of the bed where Frank's crumpled blue cotton blanket sat. "Baby, I'm sorry this got taken away from you. Keep it always." Frank smiled and took it, rubbing it on his cheek, smelling its familiar soothing smells.  
She closed her eyes and cried herself to sleep, her youngest boys lying near her.

The day that Pa Pontipee was crushed by a falling tree was the day none of the Pontipee brothers could ever set from their mind. This was matched only by the death of their Ma, ten years later. They didn't talk about it much, life on the farm in this new territory left little time for sentiment. The family had to toughen up to survive, and make sure to do their folks proud.

Frank didnt recall much of that day apart from his time with Adam, getting his blanket and his Ma back to himself for a small while. Wanting to keep the sweet memories of his mother safe, Frank built himself a box and hid his treasures – the bear and the blanket. No one knew about the box, Frank feared his brothers would call him a sissy for being such a mama's boy so he kept it protected and hidden.  
Now that some of its contents were useful to the girl he loved, they were all the more precious. He unfolded the small blanket and looked it over. There few small holes here and there, and a little fraying but still in good shape. He didn't know a mite about women's dresses and such but he did reckon the dark blue would look right pretty on Sarah. Even though there was nothing he could do to make it up to her, maybe- just maybe- this might be the thing to help her know how much he cared for her. 


	7. Weave & Want

**Thank you for your patience while I wrote this chapter! Hope you enjoy it.**

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The next day, Frank quickly changed into his fresh, newly repaired clothes in the barn. He could feel his body heave a sigh of relief as he slipped back into the warm wool long johns and the extra layer of cosiness provided by the flannel shirt. He felt proud of the fine "F" over his left hand side. A look of pure delight fell over his face as he breathed in the fresh soapy smell of his outfit. It mingled with the light delicate scent of something he smelled last summer and he was reminded of the barn raising and when he took the arm of Sarah that first time. It was like nothing he had ever smelt before but he could feel way deep down in his body that he needed more of it, to smell that fragrance again and feel the closeness of Sarah again. Warm and ready, he was able to head off to his work about the farm and do his jobs properly for a change, much to the relief of his older brothers who had been picking up the slack. They did notice that he was deep in thought most of the time and that he took to wood chopping an extra bout of enthusiasm, as if he was releasing some more tension than usual. Frank's mind was set on how he was going to get his gift to Sarah, and was anxious about what he'd actually _say_ to her, if she cared to listen to him at all. A scheme formed in his mind and the first task that to be done was going to be unpleasant.

Frank waited near the fence just a little while before sundown. He knew Dorcas would be planning to meet Ben there for a chat, as she did most evenings. Like clockwork, she appeared clutching a knitted shawl around herself. She raised her eyebrows at him in surprise and the corner of her mouth curled into a half smile. "Well, good evening Frank!" she purred.  
"Hey, Dorcas," he replied, groaning internally. Frank did not like this girl at all, the way she called him out on his behavior the other night in front of his brothers made him feel ashamed, even though he knew she was right. Still, this girl was much too forward for his taste and it irked him. He could understand why Ben was so bewitched by her, and jealous that he was getting somewhere with his gal. His cheeks grew red and he looked away as he mumbled at her, "I need your help."  
"You need _my_ help?" she repeated.  
"Yeah...y'see I need some help. Somethin' for Sarah. And I know the other gals don't come out too much. You're the only one I could really ask seein' as you come out here most evenings."  
She folded her arms, intrigued at this. "Well, go on. What do you want me to do?"  
"See, I gotta get to Sarah. And after the other night I reckon she wouldn't let me see her. I just need to see her, somehow. So I can give her this." He held out the folded bolt of fabric for Dorcas to inspect. Her eyes widened with shock when she saw it, how on earth did he find this when there wasn't a scrap of fabric left on place? She was absolutely taken aback that Frank had such a thoughtful gift for her friend, these Pontipee boys were full of all sorts of surprises.  
Sometimes, Sarah was not her favourite person to be around. She was a little too sensitive for Dorcas' liking and she did not like how she just went along with whatever Martha or Carl told her. But, when push came to shove all the girls loved each other dearly and Dorcas wanted nothing more than harmony amongst them all. Not only that, but Dorcas wanted the girls to be as happy as she was with Ben, for all of them to find love with the brothers. If she could at least help these two then her time as a captive on the farm would not have been wasted.  
A glint of mischief in her eyes, she agreed to help Frank. "Frank, she will be over the moon when she sees this fabric!"  
"Y'think it's alright?"  
"She'll love it! Just what she needs to finish her dress and stop her moping!"  
Frank grinned at that. She went on, "Here's what I'll do. I will ask her to go get some wood tomorrow night after dinner. Be out at the woodpile and you can give it to her yourself."  
It seemed like a good plan, at least then she'll be alone and there would be no risk of embarrassing himself in front of anyone again. To be honest, he didn't know if his ego could take another hit. It was hard enough asking Dorcas for help. "Thank you, that's mighty kind of you."  
She smiled, satisfied to be of help. "I'll just tell you one thing, Frank. Make sure you get her to tell you what _she_ wants. No one ever asks her what she wants or what she feels, especially that Carl."  
Frank chortled at her remark and nodded. Dorcas was smarter than she looked, he was glad he went to her after all.  
There was the sound of scrunching through the snow as Ben appeared, not at all fussed to see his girl alone with his younger brother. A love struck smile spread over the tall man's face as he saw Dorcas, now perched on the fence like a pretty bird.  
"Evening, Dorcas," he said lowly.  
"Hello, Ben," she giggled. Ben looked at Frank and motioned with his head to get gone, which Frank happily did. He smirked at the thought that it may be him sneaking off all alone with his own girl soon, just like Ben.

The next night, supper couldn't seem to come quick enough. He scoffed down his stew (venison, again) and went to get his jacket that was hanging on a hook near the door. He kept saying to himself that the plan will to work, it _had_ to work. He took sight of himself in the reflection of a glass window panel on the side of a barn, puffed up his chest and gave himself the most dashing, confident smile he could muster. He decided he looked mighty fine in his fresh clothes and he knew he could be charming, hopefully enough to keep Sarah near him for even just a moment. He grinned and told himself that he was gonna win this girl's heart, come hell or high water. He strode out of the barn and headed towards the woodpile that was cornered by a fence, set down a little path away from the house, but still close enough for place to be lit.

He paced around as he waited for what seemed like years. It was a clear night so he sat on the rail of the fence with his back to the light coming from the house and tried counting stars while he waited, stopping every once in a while as a thought popped up. What if Dorcas had tricked him? What if she decided not to help him after all? What if Sarah was busy doing something else, like having a bath? He groaned out loud as that image swooped through his head. Sarah in the bath, gosh almighty! He wasn't sure how much longer he was going to cope having Sarah away from him. This whole time the girls had been on the farm, the boys had struggled as no man should. He prayed that God could give him some relief from his thoughts.

His ears pricked up as he heard light footsteps on the path that had been cleared from the snow. He turned around and saw a figure heading towards the woodpile - it had to be her! Her dark head was down as she approached closer and he jumped off the rail, giving her a shock. She stepped backed, eyes dark and cautious.  
"What are you doing here?" she blurted out.  
"I was waitin' fer you."  
"Well, you scared me!"  
"I'm sorry, I-"  
"Frank, I don't want to talk to you. I just want to get the firewood and go back." She seemed to have simmered down a bit from her rage the other night, so he took advantage of it.  
"Please, Sarah. Please just stay a minute. I want to thank you."  
"For what?" she was puzzled.  
"For fixin' my clothes. And washin' them. That was mighty kind of you."  
"Better than you deserve," she glared.  
"Yes, m'am," he agreed with a small, handsome smile.  
She lifted her chin, feigning authority when she was actually fixed on his smile. "Well, I didn't want you to get cold. If you got sick then we'd have less help around the place, right?"  
"Yes, m'am," he nodded. What could he say next? He kicked the ground. After a moment, he looked back up at her eyes and to search her face.  
"So, why'd you do it? You should have just whupped me and left me naked and freezing."  
Sarah blushed at the thought of him naked, and caused her to stumble over her words as he listened. "Well, I...I guess the Bible tells us to forgive the people who sin against us."  
Frank felt his skin prickle at the thought that he had sinned against her. He hadn't heard that expression since his younger days when they would visit church in town or his Ma telling him Bible stories. Sarah looked out at the stars. "I do think God gives us grace every day, and I guess I thought you deserved some, too."  
Even though she was being brusque in this moment, Sarah's kindness was being revealed more to him and he was falling more in love with goodness in her heart.  
"I know I did you wrong, and there ain't much I can do to fix it. But I want to thank you," he said plainly. She knew he meant it.  
"You're welcome," she replied gingerly.  
He wanted to keep her there near him for as long as he could, so now was the time to surprise her. "I have something to give you. And then if you want to go, then you can, ok?"  
He looked sincere enough in this moment. A part of her was still furious at him from his performance at the window the other night. She didn't want to trust him but his eyes suggested otherwise.  
"Fine," she said as she crossed her arms and pursed her lips. "What is it?"  
He said nothing but handed her the fabric, savouring the fleeting gentle brush of his fingers against hers. She looked down at the little package, delighted to see what it was. She was intrigued by the delicate white paisley print that bounced, swirled and dotted across the soft, dark blue cotton. She smiled as it was such a lovely thing to see after spending another afternoon fixing up plain calico and boxy gingham for the other girls. He was happy to see her pleased with it.  
"I reckon you might have needed it for your dress."  
"Where did you get it?" she asked excitedly.  
"It was something my ma gave me when I was small. It's a bit old, nothin' fancy. But from what I saw you're talented enough to make somethin' pretty out of it."  
Sarah was bewildered; she did not expect such a kind gesture from Frank. All she had seen from him lately was behavior not fitting for a gentleman but right now she felt like she was a princess receiving a rare gift from a knight. She wanted to cry for joy that there was last something real about what she felt when she was charmed by Frank last summer, and there was something good deep down in his heart. She did not know what she wanted to say to him or how to say it.  
She was eager to see all of her gift and began to unfold it to look over the pattern when a small carved wooden bear fell out of a fold and onto the ground. She bent down to pick it up, but Frank swooped down and beat her to it. He rose and came closer, took her cold hand and opened it, placing the bear Adam had made for him on her palm.  
"This is for you too, just something of mine from when I was young. You can take it back to town with you, when you leave." He frowned at those last few words.  
She couldn't think of anything to say, so avoided his gaze. She hadn't thought about what she would do when the pass opened. Her heart was now so confused. At last she muttered a "thank you" and turned go back to the house. Frank's heart sank a bit as she did this, was there anything he could do to keep her there just for one moment more? He remembered what Dorcas had encouraged him to do.  
"Sarah. I wanna talk to you, turn 'round."  
She looked over her shoulder, a little frightened at his tone.  
He squared his shoulders and cleared his throat, "Do you want to go back home?"  
Her eyes widened at his question. How was she to answer? She missed her family and wanted to be near them. She did not miss Carl a jot; she hadn't given him a thought at all lately. She would much rather be up here on the farm then back home being fussed over by the young men in the town, never being brave enough to tell them she despised their advances and persistence. No, she did not want to go home to them. She did want to be honest, however.  
"I miss my family," she began. Frank's heart sank at those words. Of course she would be missing her family, he felt dreadful for stealing her away from them. But he pursued her thoughts further.  
"What do _you_ want?" he asked her outright, his brown eyes looking directly into hers. She felt herself shiver at the way he looked at her and within that moment, something jumped in her heart. No one had _ever_ asked her what she wanted, and now she finally knew.  
She took a deep breath. "Close your eyes."  
He didn't expect such a curt answer from her. Dumbfounded, he did as he was told.  
She prayed for courage, then found herself pinning Frank up against the fence as she crashed her lips onto his. Surprised but overjoyed, he melted into her kiss and pulled her eagerly by the waist, closer to him.

Who knows how long they stayed like that out at the woodpile, but that night neither of them were left wanting. 

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**THAT'S IT!**  
 **I hope you all enjoyed _Out at the Woodpile_.**  
 **Thank you so much for your patience as I wrote my first Fanfic. Thank you also for the encouraging reviews and follows/faves. You guys rock! Please let me know if you'd like to read more stories like this or one shots or even an epic long story. I have one other small thing in the works but would I love to hear your suggestions! Any other Seven Brides characters you'd like to read about?**


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